Retired Mayor
Sherman P Lea Sr
Legislative Advisor
Sherman P. Lea Sr. is an American public servant, community leader, and pastor who served as the 46th Mayor of Roanoke, Virginia, from July 1, 2016, to December 31, 2024. A longtime civic leader and advocate for youth, equity, and justice, Lea was one of the most prominent Black political figures in Southwest Virginia over the past two decades, having served on the Roanoke City School Board, the City Council, and the Virginia Parole Board over a 20-year public service career. He currently serves as Pastor of Garden of Prayer Vision of Faith Ministries and is a member of the Diverse Chamber of Commerce and Industry Leadership Advisory Board, where he serves as Legislative Advisor.
Sherman P. Lea was elected Mayor of the City of Roanoke on May 3, 2016. Mayor Lea began his political career as a member of Roanoke City Council on July 1, 2004, and served 12 consecutive years, holding the position of Vice-Mayor between 2008 and 2010. During his tenure, he served as Chairperson of the Personnel Committee and as a member of the Audit and Legislative Committees. As a member of the City Council, Lea formed the Domestic Violence Task Force in 2005 and began the annual Lea Youth Outdoor Basketball League in 2015, along with Lea’s High School Winter Classic Basketball Challenge that same year.
As a professional, Lea spent 36 years with the Virginia Department of Corrections, assisting people with criminal convictions as they re-entered the community upon release from incarceration. His career dates back to 1976, when he began working as an Institutional Parole Officer at the Virginia Correctional Center for Women in Goochland. He later served as an Adult Probation and Parole Officer from 1978 to 1984, working in Danville and Pittsylvania County. In 1984, he was named Chief Probation and Parole Officer, becoming the first African American to hold that position in Virginia. He was promoted in 1992 to Western Regional Director. Despite his retirement in 2012, he continued working with individuals seeking release from incarceration through his appointment in 2014 to the Virginia Parole Board by Governor Terry McAuliffe.
Additionally, Lea is the founder and president of S.P. Lea & Associates, facilitating training sessions on topics including leadership, management theories and practices, and maintaining the skills needed to remain successful in an ever-changing work environment. He has facilitated workshops for various groups and institutions of higher learning, including the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice and the Virginia University of Lynchburg, and has conducted classroom lectures for educators studying to become superintendents.
Lea has been involved in numerous civic and volunteer activities throughout his career. He is a member of the Virginia Probation and Parole Association (VPPA), the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice (NABCJ), and the Virginia Correctional Association (VCA). He serves as Chair of the State Board of Directors for Virginia CARES, Inc., and previously served as Regional Surrogate for Attorney General Mark Herring’s campaign. He is the former Chair of the Board of Directors for Total Action for Progress (TAP), former Chair of the Roanoke City School Board, former Chair of the Blue Ridge Regional School Board Association, and a former member of the Virginia School Board Association (VSBA). He is the founder and Chair of the Annual Western Virginia Education Classic Football Game and serves as a member of the Board of Visitors at Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina. He is also a former Virginia High School League football and basketball official, as well as a former college football official for the ACC, ODAC, and CIAA.
On September 20, 2019, Lea was inducted into the Virginia Union University Athletic Hall of Fame. He was awarded the 2010 William L. Hastie Award by the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice (NABCJ) and was named the 2014 Citizen of the Year by the Gamma Alpha Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Virginia Union University and an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters for Humanitarian Work in the Community from Bethlehem Bible College.
Personally, Lea is an Associate Minister of Garden of Prayer No. 7, where he now serves as Pastor of its Vision of Faith Ministries. He was married to the late Clara S. Lea, and is the proud father of Erica L. Rosser and Sherman P. Lea Jr., as well as the loving grandfather of twin granddaughters Jaylen and Mya, and grandson Jonathan Jr.